Bowhunting and backpacks go together. Gun hunters tote packs
occasionally, but every serious archer owns one or two. The reason for
this is simple. A bowhunter carries several times as much necessary
day-gear as any rifleman -- far too much to stuff in pants or coat
pockets. This paraphernalia includes standard stuff like hunting knife,
canteen, lunch, flashlight, and firestarter. In addition, archers need
fluorescent trail marking tape, spare bowstrings, extra broadheads,
spare bow sight pins, treestand steps, odor masking scent, deer calls,
wind direction powder, rattling antlers, and a myriad of other
special-purpose items. Such archery aids add up to considerable bulk
and several pounds of weight -- which makes some sort of pack a must.

Bowhunting packs can be segregated into three basic categories.
Belt packs provide minimal storage room for one-day hunts. Frameless
backpacks allow gear-toting for several-day jaunts about the
countryside. These are also handy for serious day hunts where a
spotting scope, survival gear, and camera might be part of your
preferred equipment. A third sort of pack is a full-sized,
expedition-quality model with external or internal frame -- a pack
capable of carrying remote country gear and the meat from big game
animals. Here's how to stock your archery store to accommodate
these basic bowhunting requirements.

Belt Packs

Belt packs, sometimes called fanny packs, are extremely popular
with bowhunters. These vary in size, from diminutive,
single-compartment models that attach to your belt, to sizeable packs
with multiple compartments and integral nylon belts. Dozens of
companies currently sell belt packs, including large archery firms like
Bear, Hoyt, Martin, and PSE.

When stocking your store with belt packs, you must remember two
important things. First, archery packs should be camouflaged to conform
with close-range hunting requirements. Small fanny packs need not be
leaf-print or TreBark in pattern to help archers take game, but
customers tend to prefer camouflage patterns nonetheless. A second
consideration of fanny packs is quiet exterior. Many nice-looking packs
are made of ripstop or Cordura nylon -- materials that scrape and whine
as a bowhunter walks along. Fortunately, many packs are now offered in
quiet cotton or Polarfleece fabric. These are most practical for
bowhunting use.

Belt packs make excellent impulse items in your store. They are
relatively inexpensive, and really do help an archer on foot hunts or
for ones sitting in a stand.

Most archery companies and general backpack firms offer at least
one or two models worth checking out.

Frameless Backpacks

Small, frameless backpacks are the most popular bowhunting choice.
These hold at least two cubic feet of gear -- enough to allow efficient
hunting with a bow. Treestand archers need frameless backpacks because
these will easily haul a dozen treestand steps, a folding stool, a
treestand safety belt, hoist rope, and related items. All-day foot
hunters prefer such a pack because it can be carried comfortably and
shed instantly whenever stalking needs require packless walking.
Archers in inclement weather and/or remote areas require such a pack for
spare clothes, an emergency shelter, and first-aid gear plus ordinary
bowhunting items.

For best sales, your frameless day packs should be moderate in size
with two or three zippered pockets to help segregate gear. Ideally, such
packs should be narrower then your body, and no higher than your
shoulders when loaded with five or ten pounds of equipment. This allows
a bowhunter to slip through foliage without the chance of frustrating,
potentially noisy hang-up on trees and brush. A pack that rides even
with or below shoulder level also lets you prop your bow across one
shoulder like a rifle as you walk. This is a must for walking comfort
afield. As in belt packs, the very best frameless backpacks sold for
bowhunting are made of silent material. Polarfleece is best--a durable
but extremely soft space-age fabric widely used in today's archery
packs. PSE, Martin, and others sell extensive lines of Polarfleece
packs in green woodland camo, autumn leaf-print, white-and-brown snow
camo, and TreBark patterns.

Full-Sized packs

A growing number of bowhunters enjoy serious hunting in remote,
roadless areas. For elk, mule, deer, caribou, and other back country
species, a taxing backpack away from roads often ensures solitude and
superior hunting for trophy sized game. To reach prime archery areas,
woodsmen must use pack animals or walk 5 to 20 miles away from vehicle
access points. Since most bowhunters do not own horses or mules, the
common procedure is walking with a big, sturdy pack on your back.

A number of companies sell expedition backpacks with strong alloy
frames and multi-compartment sacks attached. Most sacks are made of
nylon, but this is no handicap for bowhunters because packs are normally
shed once remote camping sites are reached.

My personal favorite for heavy-load backpack bowhunting is the camp
Trails Freighter Frame with a large, nylon sack attached. Jan-Sport,
Kelty, Peak I, and others sell similarly sturdy models. With such packs,
bowhunters can carry 40 to 70 pounds of camping and archery equipment
with minimal strain. Load weight is distributed evenly at the shoulders
and hips with three-padded straps. You should never sell large packs
unless these incorporate a wide, padded hip belt. Second-rate setups
with shoulder straps alone grind and fatigue the shoulders with even
moderate loads of 30 or 40 pounds.

One of the most innovative bowhunting packs sold today is the
Dwight Schuh Hunting Pack. This has a silent, unbreakable plastic frame
with two Polarfleece sacks attached. When hiking to and from a remote
hunting camp, you load up both sacks for large-capacity transport. Once
you reach your destination, you detach the larger upper sack and leave
it in camp as a storage bag. The plastic frame and small lower sack can
then be carried afield for day-hunting in place of a small frameless
backpack. If you manage to bag your animal, you can tie boned-out or
quartered meat above the lower sack for efficient transport out of the
woods. The Dwight Schul Hunting Pack is available in green-leaf,
TreBark, and snow camouflage.

Final Thoughts

You can certainly increase archery sales by offering a variety of
special-purpose packs. Most savvy dealers stock belt packs and
frameless backpacks in several camo patterns. Many find it best to sell
full-sized expedition packs on a special-order basis. Serious
bowhunters require one or two well-made packs, and you might as well be
the one to fill this need!

PHOTO : A small frameless backpack is ideal for most archery
gear-toting needs. Such a pack must